Electrical warp stop motion



Nov. 17, 1931. E. R. HOLMES 1,832,549

ELECTRICAL WARP STOP MOTION Filed F'eb. 20, 1951 FIL-r. E ATT/3EME V5 Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELBRIDGE R. HOLMES, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRICAL WAHIv STOP MOTION applicati@ mea rebruaryeo, 1931. semi No. 517,256.

warp stop motions heretofore employed this result could be accomplished easily by operating the actuator bar which is in engagement with the fallen drop wire. Such action is ordinarily not possible in an electrical Warp sto-p motion and it is accordingly an important object of my present invention to provide means wherebyl the contact bars may be moved endwise transversely ofthe Warp for the purpose of engaging the fallen drop wire and causing the same to indicate its location by vibrating its neighbors.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide an electrical warp stop mo-V t1on having contact bars Which are movable to indicate the location of the drop wire coupled with means for connecting the bars to a stop circuit so that the bars may be left in any position by the' weaver and still be in contact with the circuit. A

It is a stillfurther object of my invention to provideV means whereby the bars may be disconnected from each other electrically, as may be-required in starting of a new warp in a loom, the means for accomplishing this purpose being preferably formed so that they may be quickly and easily attached to and disconnected from a bar.

It is a still further object of my present invention to provide a contact bar to coact with the usual form of electrical warp -stop drop wirehaving an inclined surface, the bar having vertical corrugations or the like so disposed that lateral movement induced by the inclined edge when a drop wire falls will move one or another of the sides of the slot in the drop wire into engagement with a corrugated vertical surface, thereby requiring lateral movement of the fallen drop wirewith the bar to indicate the location of the defective warpthread.

With these and other objects in view which i will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of Vparts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth, y

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a warp stop motion equipped with my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation lookingin the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, i f

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in `the direction of arrows 3-73, Fig. 1,

Figs. 4: and 5 areviews taken through a contact bar showing varying positionsY of the drop Wires,

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of shown in Fig. 1, and b Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe contact Referring to the drawings, I have shown an angle supportV 10 on which is mounted a support 11 held in adjusted longitudinal and angular position by a screw 12. A rail 13 is formed as an integral part of the support and has mounted thereon a sheet metal carrier 14. The latter has side wings 15 and a trans# verse web 16 the lower end of which is bent up as at 17, see Figs. 2 and 3. The upwardly extending part of the web is provided with a series of upwardly opening slots 18 to receive the contact bars to be described hereinafter, while the lower part of the web supports a plate 19 the vertical position of which is determined by means of adjusting screws 20 threaded into the carrier. The upturned portions 17 of the web also have outwardlygopening vertical slots 21 in which are located separator bars 22. The latter lie, as suggested in Fig. 1, in staggered relation with respect to the'slots 18.

On the lixed structure thus far described, which is duplicated on the opposite side of the loom, there are mounted a set of contact bars B each having a groundedelectrode made of two elements 31 each having an up per offset 32. The two elements are related the i structure together by spot welding as indicated at 33. Between the upper spaced offsets is located a. live Contact bar 34 insulated from the elements 3l. The gro-unded electrode lies in and contacts loosely with the sides of the slots 18.

The drop wire D may be of the usual form and has in the upper portion thereof a slot 40 terminating in an upper inclined edge 4l.

'Ihe under side of each of the grounded electrodes has a slot or notch 42 into which extends a vane 43. The latter is secured to a wire 44 which is journaled in the wings l5 and has a hand hold 45 by means of which the wire and the vane can be oscillated.

In order to establish electrical connection between the various electrodes 34 I use a contact element shown generally at 50 comprising an insulating base 5l having a spring contact member 52 secured thereto in such a way as to be out of electrical contact with the grounded electrode. The upper end of the spring is formed as shown in F ig. 3 and has a downwardly extending convex surface 53 cut into segments each of which is received by a similarly formed depression 54 in an insulated electrode. The member 52 normally contacts with all the depressions 54 and by means of a connection 55 having a fiexible part such as a wire 56, the spring and the electrodes 34 are electrically connected to an external circuit not shown but well understood. Y

Under normal conditions, when all of the weft threads are intact, the drop wires D will be raised and the contact bars will be at rest. When a drop wire falls its upper inclined surface 4l will engage the top electrode 34 and shift the drop wire laterally. If the drop wire is already in contact with an offset there will be no lateral shift, but the effect of the inclined surface 4l will be to draw one of the vertical sides of the slot 40 into engagement with one of the offsets 32. Each of the latter is corrugated as at G0 by means of iine vertical grooves of suiiicient size to receive the drop wire.

After the loom has been stopped through wellknown mechanism the operator, in order to determine the location of the defect, will rock the wire 44 by means of the handle 45 the effect of which will be to move the vane 43 first to one side and then to the other, thereby rocking the contact bars longitudinally in the slots 18. Because of the fact that the inclined surface 4l has moved an edge of the fallen drop wire into contact'with a corrugated offset, movement of the bar in a longitudinal direction will cause movement of a drop wire and the latter, by agitating and vibrating its neighbors, will indicate the location of warp defect, as suggested in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 shows the relation of parts susk tained before the longitudinal movement of the bars, the fallen drop wire having been moved into contact with one of the corrugated offsets but not necessarily in contact with its neighboring drop wires. Fig. 3, on the other hand, shows a crowding of the drop wires with a resultant opening which gives an immediate visual indication of the location of the` broken thread. I

Because of the flexible part of the connection 55 it is unnecessary to return the contact bars to any Vpredetermined horizontal position, as the circuit can 'be completed regardless of their longitudinal locaton. It is to be understood that the ground of the electrode formed by the elements 3l has connectionv through 'the' Asupporting structure described with the opposite side of the electric circuit. y

Vhen new warpY is being putin a loom cer'- tain of the threads'are lilely to 4be unduly slack, the result of Awhich would be'to vstop the loom, and Vin order to prevent this in the preliminary stages ofl weaving the Contact element 50 can be removed because of the resilience ofthe member 52. f

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple means for rocking the Contact bars longitudinally while at the same timemaintaining saidbars in Contact with the external circuit, regardless of .their longitudinal position. It will be seen that l the location of the drop wire is greatly facilitated by the vertical corrugations of the Aoffsets '32 and that these are brought into play because of the lateral shifting insured by the inclined surface 4l located at the top of the slots in the drop wires. Also, the contact clement 50 may be detached in order to prevent undesired loom stoppage when new warp put in a loom. Furthermore, the contact element tends to maintain horizontal alignment of the bars during their longitudinal movement so that any lifting effect exerted by the. vane on one of the bars isresistcd bythel weight of the other bars. Y Y. Y'

Having thus described' in y invention' it will be seen that changes and modifications maybe made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to belimited to the details herein disclosed, but what 'I claimis:

l. In an electrical warp stop motion,"a con# tact bar having grounded and insulated electrodes, a fixed support for said bars, means to shift said bars longitudinally with respect to the supports to indicate the location of ya fallen drop wire, and means tomaintain ele'c, tric contact with the insulated electrodes for all longitudinal positions of the bar.

2. Inan electrical warpstop motion, a con# tact bar having grounded and insulated cicctrodes, a fixed support for said b ars in Vengagementlwith the grounded electrode, means mounted on the supportfand in contact with the grounded electrode to move the barlongitudinally and relatively tothe support, and

means forming 'part of an external circuit which is connected to the insulated electrodes in all longitudinal positions of the Contact bar.

3. In an electrical warp stop motion operating with a drop wire having a slot provided with an inclined edge, a contact bar movable longitudinally through the slot and having a vertical corrugated surface, the inclined edge effecting lateral movement of the drop Wire into engagement with the corrugated surface when the drop wire falls, and means to move the bar longitudinally.

4. In a warp stop motion, a drop wire have ing a slot therethrough the upper end of which is defined by an inclined edge, a bar passing through the slot and having corrugations extending along the vertical surface thereof, and means to move the bar longitudinally, the inc-lined edge moving a fallen drop wire against the corrugations and movement of the bar longitudinally causing movement of the fallen drop wire.

5. In a warp stop motion, a drop wire having an inclined edge, a bar having a portion to be engaged by the inclined edge when the drop wire is in fallen position, the bar having corrugations along the vertical edge thereof, and means to move the bar longitudinally, the inclined edge of a fallen drop wire moving the latter laterally by engagement with the bar to cause engagement between the corrugations and the fallen drop wire so that longitudinal movement of the bar will move the drop wire.

6. A contact bar for an electrical warp stop motion, said bar having vertical longitudinal surfaces, and means defining corrugations in said surfaces, the corrugations extending vertically.

7 A contact bar for an electrical warp stop motion comprising a central insulated electrode, and a grounded electrode having vertical surfaces terminating below the top of the insulated electrode, said vertical surfaces being roughened.

8. A contact bar for an electrical warp stop motion comprising a central insulated elec'- t trode, and a grounded electrode having vertical surfaces terminating below the top of the insulated electrode, said vertical surfaces having vertical corrugations thereon.

9. A contact bar for an electrical warp stop motion comprising a central insulated electrode, and a grounded electrode having vertical surfaces terminating below the top of the insulated electrode, said vertical surfaces being roughened, the horizontal distance bet tween the roughened surfaces representing the maximum width of the bar measured in a horizontal direction transversely of the bar when the bar is in upright position.

10. In a warp stop motion operating with a drop wire, a bar movable longitudinally having an upwardly projecting insulated electrode positioned to engage a fallen drop wire and move it laterally, means `defining vertical grooves on the Contact bar one of which receives a portion of the fallen drop wire as the latter moves laterally, and means to move the bar longitudinally to move the fallen drop wire against neighboring drop wires.

12. In a warp stop motion, a drop wire having a slot with a vertical edge and also C b an inclined edge, a bar extending through the slot and having corrugations adjacent the vertical edge, the inclined edge of a falling drop wire engaging the bar and moving the drop wire laterally to cause engagement of the vertical edge and corrugations, and means to move the bar longitudinally.

13. In an electrical warp stop motion, a plurality of contact bars, each bar having a grounded electrode and also an insulated electrode, and resilient means held by its own resilience on the contact bars insulated from the grounded electrodes and contacting with all of the live electrodes.

14. In an electrical warp stop motion, a plurality of contact bars, each bar having a grounded electrode and a live electrode insulated from the grounded electrode, a contact member resiliently supported on the bars and having contact with all of the live electrodes, and means to insulate said contact from the grounded electrodes.

l5. In an electrical warp stop motion, a plurality of contactbars, each bar having a grounded electrode and a live electrode insulated from the grounded electrode, each of the live electrodes having a depression formed therein, and a contact element frictionally held to the contact bars and having portions to be located normally in the depressions, said contact member being insulated from the grounded electrodes and movable with the bars.

16. In an electrical warp stop motion, a plurality of contact bars, each bar having a grounded electrode and a live electrode insulated from the grounded electrode, means to move all of the bars in unison longitudinally, a detachable contact member frictionally held to the bars and insulated from the grounded electrodes and electrically connected to the live electrodes, said contact member moving with the bars as the same move longitudinally.

17. In an electrical warp stop motion, a

plurality of Contact bars, each barhziving a grounded electrode und a live electrode insulated from the grounded electrode, means to move all of the bers in unison longitudinally, u, detachable Contact member frictionally held to the hers und insulated from the grounded electrodes and electrically connected to the live electrodes, said Contact memlber moving With the bars as the same move longitudinally, and tending lo maintain said hars in horizontal alignment.

In tesiimony whereol I have hereunto affixed my signature. 

